Internal quality assurance (IQA) systems have proliferated worldwide, becoming one of the most important catalysts for higher education reform.

A series of just published case studies captures this worldwide phenomenon and brings to the forefront the know-how on building innovative and effective IQA systems and processes.

From China, Austria, Kenya, Germany, Bahrain, Bangladesh, South Africa, and Chile, eight universities share exclusive detail on the evolution of their IQA systems, their impact and main lessons on how to use IQA to ensure acceptable standards of education, scholarship and infrastructure are met and continually enhanced.

When developing IQA, higher education institutions (HEIs) face a number of challenges, such as choosing an appropriate focus for their IQA, integrating IQA tools into a cost effective and coherent system, taking into account the need to enhance the employability of graduates through IQA and finding an appropriate balance between centralized and decentralized structures.

The new case studies provide an unprecedented base of evidence on how to build state-of-the art IQA systems, which can help pave the way to improved academic quality and graduate employability.

Based on a multi-stakeholder approach, the case studies included a survey of both academic and administrative staff’s perceptions of IQA, as well as in-depth interviews with leadership, academic administrators and students.

The overall goal was to illustrate approaches and options that can be considered as good principles and a source of inspiration to guide other HEIs in the design and development of their own IQA systems.